I Lost My Kid. Then I Found Him Again.

I made it almost 13yrs without misplacing one of my children.

We've been through crowded malls, amusement parks, beaches etc, wall to wall people, and I've always managed to keep both of them by my side, until we left the place/event.

They will be 13 & 9 in a few weeks, and I still wait outside the Men's Room door for them, and I won't let them go 'one aisle over' alone at Walmart.

Until yesterday.

It is our 'March Break' here, so the boys and I did a road trip to NB.

Yesterday, we went to the indoor/outdoor (during summer months) amusement park Crystal Palace.

We've been there a couple times a year, the past few years.

It's no Disneyland, but the kids like it.

There are rides, games, slushies and snow cones, mini-golf and a (very) small roller coaster.

It's all good.

And not 'crazy busy' because NB has already had their March Break, so most of yesterday's patrons were visitors from NS, or local kids skipping school.

We were there a total of 5 1/2 hrs.

About hour four, Adam (the 9yr old) decided he didn't want to go on the Roller Coaster with us again. He wanted to play the 'Bowling Game', which was right across from the Roller Coaster, and in clear view of the lineup Alec and I were standing in.

Only a few feet away.

Just as we're getting on, I look over and see Adam has moved down further to the Basketball Game. He motions to me that he's staying there.

Still in my line of sight.

We got on the Roller Coaster.

About a minute and a half later (if you estimate 30sec a round), we got off the Roller Coaster.

Adam was gone.

We walked down the row of games.

It was a short walk.

No Adam.

I wasn't going to panic.

Crystal Palace isn't THAT big.

He was JUST there.

He wasn't far.

Right?

My first mistake, was being comfortable enough at seeing the same families and kids running around all afternoon, and knowing he was right there, to agree to let him play the game while we took the 'minute and a bit' ride.

My second mistake, was walking around the Palace to try and find him.

Alec and I should have just stayed where we were.

We walked around three times.

No Adam.

We checked the games, the rides we had already been on, the ones he had expressed an interest in going on and the Prize Palace, in case he was checking out the prize he wanted to cash in his tickets for.

No Adam.

After 10-15 min of looking, I decided it was time to go to Security, and get his name called over the loud speaker.

Alec and I were on our way to the little red kiosk, where we purchased our tickets on the way in, when Alec said 'There he is Mom!'

I had been looking over at one of the rides and whipped my head around at his words.

There was Adam, walking toward me with a Security Guard at his side.

Our eyes locked, he ran the last few steps, and so did I.

I knelt down, grabbed him in my arms and we both let out a sob.

I was OK, until I had him in my arms again. Then I let go. And so did he.

He explained that he had looked over at the Roller Coaster when he was finished playing his game, and we weren't there.

He thought he had been playing for awhile, and that we had already gotten off the ride, and gone looking for him, when it had actually only been a minute or so, and we were still ON the ride.

So he started walking around looking for us.

And when we got off, we were walking around looking for him.

Not the smart thing to do. And we all knew it.

But God love 'im, when he didn't see us, he went to the same little red kiosk that we were on our way to. And he told them he couldn't find us.

They asked his name, age, my name etc. And the Security Guard had just started to walk around with him to look for me, when we met.

I thanked him, and he graciously replied that it happens every day, all the time.

Actually, we had heard names being called over the PA system two or three times while we were there that afternoon.

Didn't make me feel any better for being an idiot.

He then asked if I'd bring Adam over to the Prize Palace, where he gave him a kite, and a stuffed bear from the pickings (and you needed alot of tickets for those little suckers!).

To make him feel better after his 'adventure'.

I thought that was really nice of him.

After that, we played for another hour or so, stood in a half hour lineup to cash in their tickets for prizes, and left.

I'm not proud I lost my kid.

He was 15t away, in my direct line of sight, and I lost my kid.

Irresponsible on my part. Definitely.

Having a 13yr old in the house, who he often tries to imitate, I sometimes forget Adam is still only 9.

Yesterday was one of those times.

I don't know what I would have done, if some of the thoughts that were going through my head had materialized, instead of the outcome that was.

As Alec and I were running through the rides and games on our Adam Hunt, I couldn't help but remember a couple of years ago, when I found a lost little boy, on the Halifax waterfront, and then managed to find his Mom.

I hoped at the time, if I ever found myself in the reverse situation, that someone would be nice enough to return MY child.

Yesterday, the fates returned the favour. Thank you.

And thank you Mr Security Guard, for taking care of my boy.

And thank you Adam, for remembering the 'right thing' to do if you ever got lost.

K

P.S. But he wouldn't make a good eye witness. He told the guard I was wearing a brown and black shirt.

It was St Paddy's Day.

It was Green. LOL